Disclaimer: I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch Productions. I don't own anything from the Phantom of the Opera; all rights belong to their rightful owners.
Claimer: I own all of my original characters.
Well here's chapter 7! And just a quick word of warning, after the (.-.-.-.-.-.-.) section, the point of view changes so I just wanted to make that clear now. I had originally planned to make this two chapters then I decided against it and just decided to make it one really long chapter. So, please read and review and let me know how I'm doing and please leave me any questions or comments you have. Thanks! (:
Chapter 7: Opposite Sides of the Law
I twisted a curl of my hair around my index finger and thumb as I thought. It had been a little over three weeks since I had agreed to be Erik's thieving partner and now he decided that we would need to let the city, and police force, become aware of the changes in our lives. I didn't think that making it obvious that two thieves would be together in a room full of police offices was a good idea but I wasn't going to try to change his mind. He figured that since tonight was Christmas Eve and just about everyone in the city would be at the opera house for the celebration, we would make our grand entrance there. It would be the first time I would actually see my sister, or Cooper for that matter, since the night they caught me stealing from the museum around the first of the month. I had no desire to speak to either of them and frankly I didn't even want to see them. They had burned me in more ways than one and had completely obliterated my self esteem and confidence. I knew the two of them would be at the opera house tonight but I would try to avoid contact with both of them at all costs.
I tossed my hair behind my shoulder as I looked to the ball gown spread out on my bed. Erik had given it to me for tonight's event. It was an absolutely beautiful gown that had to have cost Erik a fortune…that or he stole it. I had come home earlier in the day and noticed it was placed neatly on my bed along with a pair of matching heels and a white masquerade mask that had a striking resemblance to a skull. It didn't go completely over my face, just over my eyes, half my cheeks, and the upper part of my snout. I picked it up and ran my fingertips over the smooth yet bumpy surface of the mask and sighed. I honestly didn't know what to do with my life at this point. I couldn't go back to what my life was before; thieving almost everyday and always escaping the police. I'd be caught and thrown in prison since Cooper joined the police force but I really didn't want to start a relationship with Erik again. He had also hurt me in the past, tried to get me killed, tried to get me to marry him, but I'd honest rather go with him than Cooper.
I stood from my bed and straightened out the slip I was wearing. I had a few hours to get ready for the ball tonight with Erik and I still had to get dressed and everything else. I strode into my bathroom and sat down in front of my mirror to start putting on my makeup for tonight. I really didn't need to put that much on since my fur was too dark for anything so show up with the exception of a little bit of mascara and lipstick. It took me forever to do a simple task since I kept getting sidetracked by my thoughts. I didn't know what to do anymore. I was being torn emotionally and my mind was frazzled. When I was a kid I never imagined myself going through a mid life crisis in my late twenties, but instead I always pictured myself being married with kids by now. But, that certainly wasn't going to happen anytime soon. I shook my head and finished putting on my makeup and walked back into my bedroom to get my dress on. I looked at the dress and couldn't help but smile briefly. The dress itself was a floor length ball gown and was a beautiful red satin color. I picked it up from the top and held it out in front of me. It wasn't sleeveless but it didn't have short sleeves. It simply had two diagonal sleeves that simply would rest on my shoulders. Similar to the sash girls wear in their high school graduation photos.
I quietly unzipped the zipper on the back of the dress and stepped into it. I shimmied into the dress and pulled the sleeves up on my shoulders. I zipped up the dress and smoothed out the torso section of the dress. It was tight fitting on my torso and started to spread out as it got closer to the ground. It was a Victorian style poof at the bottom and it fit perfectly. I had already fixed my hair before fixing my makeup. I had fixed to so that my hair was not only curled, but was down yet pulled back into a clip where my jaw line started while the rest cascaded down my back. My hair wasn't that long to begin with, maybe shoulder blade length, but now that it was curled it was even shorted. I still had my bangs pulled over my left eye to hide my eye color, even with the mask on. Now all I had left to do was put on my shoes and the mask. I silently slipped on the matching red shoes and was instantly lifted up two or three inches. I stayed silently as I picked the mask up off the bed and held it in my paws. I didn't know if I was doing the right thing when it came to going with Erik, but I couldn't go with Sly and Erik was the only option for me. I though about my new title as well as I placed the mask over my face. After tonight, I would be known as the Mistress of the Opera.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
I fixed the collar of my suit as I walked through the front foyer of the opera house. I put my arm back down when I was finished and offered it to my date. Carmelita took my arm with a huff and we walked through the opera house together. She had been in a mood since our encounter with Ramona at the first of the month. Apparently, the two sisters had engaged in harsh words against each other and now refused to speak to each other. We were undercover at the opera house; looking for any criminals that might want to swipe things on display. Carmelita was mainly on the hunt for her sister and was determined to put her behind bars for good. We hadn't heard of any thefts by Ramona or even seen her since the beginning of the month. Personally, I was starting to believe that she had left the city. Now that I worked with Interpol, I didn't dare go to her apartment so I was unsure if it was still being rented out to her or if she moved. Another thought that plagued my mind about her was the point her brother had told me a few weeks ago. If she had gone back with the Phantom, there would be no telling what would happen to her.
"Alright, listen," Carmelita mumbled after we had gotten away from the crowd, "Keep you eyes peel for Bandicoot. If you see her, take her down and let me know." I nodded and we branched off. Even though I couldn't keep an eye on Ramona like I normally did, I still could spy on her. That was the one good thing about being assigned to her case; I had an excuse to keep my eye on her. I weaved in and out of people, looking out for any sign of Ramona or possibly the Phantom. As I walked, I couldn't help but realize how much I hate being a cop. I missed being with my friends, stealing things whenever I please, having the wind blow against my face as I ran on a heist, and actually waking up and enjoying my job. I also missed being on Ramona's good side. Ever since she was under the mind control of Dr. Cortex a few months ago, things had been really rocky between us. Sure, we talked soon after it was over, but things weren't the same with us. And now that I was a cop, everything was worse. We couldn't be around each other for a minute without screaming and yelling at each other. I also knew that this entire situation was entirely my fault. If I had just told her the truth about how I felt when I had the chance then we wouldn't be in this situation. I had plenty of chances to tell her that I loved her but I had chickened out each and every time. Then to top everything off I somehow managed to be manipulated by her sister.
I shook my thoughts from my head and kept walking in and out of people. We had been sent into the ballroom section of the opera house with the actual theatre up the large staircase that was centered in the middle of this room. The ballroom was decorated like it normally was; completely painted gold and filled with people. I hated going to these types of events. The only time I actually went without fuss was if Bentley had a job for us to pull or I was trying to spy on the Phantom when he had his sights set on my old rival. But since I wasn't really here to do either of those things, I was bored out of my mind. Sure, Carmelita brought me on a few of her chases while we were on the job but nothing compared to the thrill of thieving. The adrenaline rush I got from thieving couldn't be matched by being a cop. I wasn't born into a line of police officers; I was born into a line of thieves. There was one thing I needed to do…I needed to quit and go back to the gang, my passion, and to the woman I truly loved. I silently passed by other party goers and kept my eyes open for anything out of the ordinary.
Despite the cheerful mood of the people around me and the loud music flowing through the halls, I still had a strange feeling that something wasn't right. I couldn't help but feel like something bad was going to happen or that something had already gone wrong. I couldn't shake this feeling even as I looked at the smiling faces of the guests and I listened to the upbeat music that was getting louder and louder. Things just weren't right in the opera house and I needed to figure out what it was before my brain exploded from anticipation. I looked around and spotted Carmelita strolling leisurely around the party guests; talking to no one and keeping to herself. I stopped walking and yawned quietly. I had circled the guests two times and everything seemed secure. I'd just stand here for a while and look things over. I wasn't in the mood to do anything so simply standing wouldn't take that much energy or effort. I leaned against the banister to the large staircase and sighed. I felt absolutely horrible and it was completely my fault. If I had just told Ramona the truth, I wouldn't be worrying about her going to the Phantom, her brother wouldn't want to kill me, I wouldn't be a cop, and I wouldn't have to live and deal with an always moody Carmelita. I closed my eyes and thought but they snapped open as soon as the music stopped and people grew eerily quiet. I got up off the banister and noticed that everyone was staring at the main staircase behind me. I turned and quickly looked in the same direction as the party goers and could feel my stomach twist into knots at the sight before me.
Dressed all in red, clad in solid black boots and gloves, a mask attached to his face, and a smug smirk spread across his face, was the Phantom. The silver handle of his sword, which was a skull similar to his mask, gleamed in the light as the paced back and forth slowly on the top stair. He was looking over the people in the party and smirked each time he turned on his heels. He slowly stepped down a few stairs and stopped dead in his tracks. He quickly made eye contact with me, shook his head with another smirk, and looked back out into the crowd. He was up to something, but what he was up to exactly was still a mystery. But whatever it was, I could tell that Ramona would be involved. I stepped back into the crowd slowly and placed my paw on my shock pistol, ready to shoot the Phantom down.
"Why so quiet everyone?" he mused, "Did you really think that you could have a party in my opera house and not expect me to show up?" he chuckled dryly and started to pace on the stair slowly. I glanced over to Carmelita who was on the opposite side of the room and she had her pistol out of its holster and pointed down, ready to raise it up at the right moment. I did the same with my pistol and returned my attention to the Phantom.
"I have an announcement for everyone here tonight and I'm hoping my two 'undercover' Interpol officers listen very carefully," I knew he was talking to both me and my partner, "To begin, I am no longer alone. You all have another you must obey if you wish to keep using my opera house and theatre without charge." He turned away from the crowd and back towards the entryway he had come from. He silently held out his gloved paw and cocked his head to the side slowly.
"Mademoiselle," he said softly to an unknown woman in the shadows. I watched as the woman, dressed completely in red and wearing a matching mask to the Phantom, slowly came out of the shadows and into the light. She gently took his paw with her own and stepped down a step or two until the two were arm and arm. They walked down a few more stairs together before stopping. I took one look at the woman in red and almost dropped my shock pistol.
"No," I whispered mainly to myself, "Not her, anyone but her." I felt my heart sink when my eyes set on Ramona. Her brother was right, she did join the Phantom and this time it was completely of her own will.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he boomed, "My new queen and your new mistress of this opera house…Mademoiselle Bandicoot." He smiled briefly before his charming smile turned cold, "Constable Cooper!" he shouted. The group of people around me quickly stepped away as if I was a freak of nature and I was standing in the middle of a circle and staring up at my enemy, "There you are." He mused, "I'd listen very carefully if I were you. Do you realize how big of a moron you are? You left this beautiful, pure, raven haired beauty," he paused and gently ran a finger down her jaw line, "for that no good, ruthless, blue haired, tramp who tries to pass herself off as an honest police officer." I heard Carmelita growl at his comment and it didn't take long for her to fire off a shot towards the two raccoons. However, the two ducked and started making their way up the stairs. A few women in the crowd shrieked when Carmelita fired and it took only seconds for the opera house to go from happy and lively to fearful and filled with shrieks. Carmelita and I instantly bolted up the staircase after the two thieves who had branched away from each other.
"You go after my sister!" the Inspector shouted, "I'm going after the freak with the mask!" I nodded and followed Ramona to the left. She started making her way up the spiral staircase that led to the rafters above the theatre. Even in a heavy dress and heels, she could still move quickly. Thankfully her dress was long enough for me to keep an eye on where she was going. I had placed my gun back in its holster before chasing after Ramona. I had no intentions to shoot her or arrest her; all I wanted to do was talk to her and get her away from the Phantom.
"Ramona!" I shouted behind her after I had reached the top of the staircase. The tail end of her dress fluttered around a corner and I ran as fast as I could to catch up to her. Her heels clicked against the floor and I was getting closer to her. When she was fully in my sights, I realized she was halfway across the hanging walkways above the stage. It was nothing more than a rope and wooden plank bridge going from one side of the theatre to the other. There were two different walkways hanging and she was on the one on the left. For both our safety, I ran into the right one. I gripped the tope tightly when I realized just how flimsy these things were. They swayed with each step and wobbled every second. How Ramona was able to keep her balance while in heels was a mystery to me.
"Ramona listen to me!" I shouted and she turned swiftly. The sweet and innocent face she had during her grand entrance had disappeared and was now replaced with one of anger.
"Why should I listen to anything you have to say? Everything you tell me is a lie!" she balled her paws into fists and was shaking.
"When have I ever lied to you, Ramona?" I shouted back. I wasn't out of anger, but simply so she could hear me. We were at lease six feet apart and the shouting from the opera house was still loud.
"Every time you open your mouth!" she screamed, "When we talked after the incident with Cortex you told me you had more feelings for me than my sister! You said you wanted to talk when you got back! But you never even looked and me when you got back and look where you are now! You're a thief turned cop who broke the Thief's Code and you're sleeping with my sister! Every word you said to me that day, every word was a lie! You said you have amnesia but that is the biggest load of crap I've ever heard! You know exactly who I am, what you doing, and you know it! And you knew it when you shot me!" she kept screaming, "I loved you, Cooper! I was willing to give up everything for you, but you stabbed me in the back! You broke my heart and blew it in my face! You and my good-for-nothing sister completely crushed me! But when I have the chance to pick up the pieces with a new man, you just have to try and stop me! I am a person just like you and I deserve to find love just like you! You are not the only man in the world, Cooper!"
"Ramona, will you just shut up for a minute and listen to me?" I tried to get through to her but she only got madder.
"No! Don't you ever tell me to shut up, Cooper! I am not one of the criminals you arrest everyday!" she was furious. Her nostrils were flaring, her fists were shaking, and she was ready to snap.
"Then will you please listen to me, Ramona?" she shook her head violently.
"No! I don't want to hear anything from you! I don't ever want to her anything from you again! Do you want to know what the final straw was for me, Sly? When I learned of everything you said about me behind me back! That's what did it for me!"
"What are you talking about? I never said anything about you! Who said that to you?" I had never said anything negative about Ramona and I never would. I respected her too much. Someone was feeding her lies and I had a good idea who was telling her these lies.
"Erik told me everything you said about me, Sly! He told me that you told your friends that I was worthless and that you were only using me. He told me that you said you never loved me and you never could! He told me that you adored my sister and only became close with me to avoid having me throw you in jail! He told me everything you said! Everything!" even though she had her mask on, I could see the tears stream down her face. My mouth fell open at her comments and I was dumbfounded. Erik was feeding her lies to turn us against each other and it was working.
"I never said that about you, Ramona! I swear to you! He is lying to you, Ramona! He's lying to you! I never said that about you! Never!" She simply shook her head and turned to finish walking down the pathway. I followed her on mine but stopped in my tracks instantly when I heard someone behind me. I turned around and ducked just in time to avoid getting punched in the head by the Phantom. The last thing I wanted to do was fight him on a flimsy rope and wooden plank bridge twenty feet from the solid wooden stage below.
I rammed my elbow into his abdomen and kicked him in his shins and ran across the platform to get to a safer spot before fighting off the Phantom. I figured he'd chase me across the platform I ran across but instead, I heard his cloak snap against the wind and he started climbing up the ropes that were attached to the stage. I kept my eyes on his shadowy outline as I made my escape. Truly, I was intimidated by him. He was a deadly man who could kill someone without a thought. I knew that if I got heavily involved with them this time, with them this time I knew he would either kill me, Ramona, or both. I was almost to the ground when I heard him jump down behind me. I turned and pulled out my gun but it was slapped out of my paw as soon as it was out of its holster. I felt one of his paws grip my neck firmly and his other fist impact the side of my face. He hit me two or three times before kneeing me in my gut. He released my neck and I doubled over with a grunt. I slid to the ground, still holding my aching ribs, and heard him make his escape up a rope when Carmelita made herself known. The light from her shock pistol quickly flooded the room and shone brightly on me. She cautiously stepped up to me and lowered her weapon.
"Did you get her? He slipped away from me but did you get my sister?" I glanced up to the fox and sighed.
"No." I said simply. She huffed and mumbled something in Spanish. Since I had been living with her for a few months I knew what she said…well most of it, something along the lines of 'worthless'. She quickly huffed past me and back towards the ballroom. I rolled my eyes and stood.
I took in a deep breath and made my way towards the ballroom. I looked up briefly to see if I could find any evidence of Ramona or Erik but nothing was there. As I walked, I couldn't help but think of what Ramona had said. I knew I had never said anything bad about Ramona behind her back. I'd never said anything bad about her period! I knew deep in my heart that Erik was filling her head with lies to drive the wedge further between us. I had to stop her and show Ramona the truth before we became bitter enemies instead of friendly rivals. I wanted to quit Interpol right then and there but I quickly realized I might be able to use my new job to my advantage. I needed to talk with Bentley and get back on his good side. With his brains and my inside connects to Ramona's files and the permission to actually go and get her since she was a wanted criminal, I could bring down the Phantom, possibly have him arrested, and things would be alright. I'd quit Interpol, say goodbye to Inspector Fox, find Ramona, explain things to her, tell her I loved her, then simply let things fall into place from there. But first, I needed to take down the Phantom for good.